The present disclosure relates to a fuel system for a vehicle, more particularly, to a filler neck for introducing fuel from a pump nozzle into a vehicle fuel tank.
Filler necks for fuel systems are known. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos.: 5,056,570; 5,271,438; 5,730,194; 5,732,840; 6,056,029; and 6,189,581B1.
According to the present disclosure, a filler neck is adapted for use with a fuel-delivery conduit. The fuel-delivery conduit defines an axis disposed transversely to an axis of the filler neck and is adapted to be coupled to a fuel tank inlet of a vehicle fuel tank. The filler neck comprises a housing and a shuttle. The housing is adapted to be coupled to the fuel-delivery conduit and includes a passageway that defines the axis of the filler neck and is adapted to receive a pump nozzle. The shuttle is positioned for movement in the passageway along the axis of the filler neck between a closed position to close the passageway and an opened position to open the passageway in response to engagement with the pump nozzle. The shuttle includes a side wall and a guide surface. The side wall defines an outlet aperture adapted for communication with the fuel-delivery conduit when the shuttle is positioned in the opened position. The guide surface is positioned to direct liquid fuel dispensed by the pump nozzle through the outlet aperture into the fuel-delivery conduit when the shuttle is positioned in the opened position. This arrangement promotes economy of space in the vehicle.
Illustratively, the side wall of the shuttle includes a first half and a second half which are defined by a first plane on which the axis of the filler neck lies. The first half defines an outlet aperture through which liquid fuel dispensed by the pump nozzle flows into the fuel-delivery conduit in a direction transverse to the axis when the shuttle is positioned in the opened position. The second half is apertureless so that liquid fuel dispensed by the pump nozzle flows through the outlet aperture.
Illustratively, the filler neck, the fuel-delivery conduit, and the vehicle fuel tank are part of a fuel system which also includes a fuel vapor re-circulation conduit coupled to the vehicle fuel tank. The housing of the filler neck defines a nozzle-receiving chamber adapted to receive a pump nozzle, a mixing chamber, and an aperture positioned in communication with the nozzle-receiving chamber and the mixing chamber. The housing is adapted to position the mixing chamber in communication with the fuel-delivery conduit and the fuel vapor re-circulation conduit.
The shuttle is positioned for movement in the aperture between a closed position to close the aperture and an opened position to open the aperture in response to engagement with the pump nozzle. The outlet aperture of the shuttle is positioned in the nozzle-receiving chamber when the shuttle is positioned in the closed position. The outlet aperture is positioned in the mixing chamber when the shuttle is positioned in the opened position so that liquid fuel dispensed by the pump nozzle can flow through the outlet aperture into the mixing chamber to mix with fuel vapor from the fuel vapor re-circulation conduit to provide a mixture of liquid fuel and fuel vapor for delivery through the fuel-delivery conduit to the vehicle fuel tank.
Additional features will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments exemplifying the best mode as presently perceived.